Method for manufacturing optical semiconductor element, and optical semiconductor element

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an optical semiconductor element having a light emitting element section and a functional section. The method includes conducting dry etching, and then conducting wet etching, when forming at least a part of the functional section.

Description

[0001] The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-106036, filed Apr. 1, 2005 is expressly incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND [0002] 1. Technical Field [0003] The present invention relates to methods for manufacturing optical semiconductor elements, and optical semiconductor elements. [0004] 2. Related Art [0005] A surface-emitting type semiconductor laser (hereafter referred to as a “surface-emitting laser”) has a smaller device volume compared to an ordinary edge-emitting type semiconductor laser, such that the electrostatic breakdown voltage of the device itself is low. For this reason, the device may be damaged by static electricity caused by a machine or an operator in a mounting process. In particular, a surface-emitting laser has a certain tolerance to a forward bias voltage, but has a low tolerance to a reverse bias voltage, and the device may be destroyed when a reverse bias voltage is impressed. A variety of measures are usually implemented in a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0017] In accordance with another advantage of some aspects of the invention, in the process for manufacturing an optical semiconductor element having a light emitting element section and a functional section, an optical semiconductor element and a method for manufacturing an optical semiconductor element which enable simple and accurate patterning of layers that become to be a functional section without damaging layers for forming a light emitting element section are provided.

[0044] According to the present embodiment, a high performance optical semiconductor element equipped with a light emitting element section and a functional section can be provided at low cost.

Problems solved by technology

For this reason, the device may be damaged by static electricity caused by a machine or an operator in a mounting process.

In particular, a surface-emitting laser has a certain tolerance to a forward bias voltage, but has a low tolerance to a reverse bias voltage, and the device may be destroyed when a reverse bias voltage is impressed.

A variety of measures are usually implemented in a mounting process to remove static electricity, but these measures have limitations.

When a dry etching method is used in the step b), it is difficult to form a functional section without damaging the layers that become to be a surface-emitting laser.

Accordingly, it is difficult for the manufacturing method described above to accurately pattern the functional section.

However, it is difficult to control the amount of etching of the layers in the depth direction only by the dry etching.

Therefore, if the entire etching is conducted by wet etching alone, disturbance in the pattern configuration, such as, an overhang at a side face (boundary) of the etching pattern and the like may occur, which may result in inconveniences such as disconnection of the electrodes, changes in the element capacitance, and the like.

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